Andre theodore christopit



. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDRE THEODORE OHRISTOPH, 0F PARIs, FRANoE.

RECTIFICATIONIAOF ALCOHOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,583, dated August6, 1889.

Application filed December 10, 1888. Serial No. 293,171. (No specimens.)Patented in France August 9, 1888, No. 192,321, and

' in Belgium August 10, 1888, No. 82,861.

In the rectification of alcohol it is usual totake the impure spirit ata strength of about thirty to sixty per cent, and by rectification toseparate it into three successive products. The middle product (or thatwhich comes after about thirty per cent. of the whole has been distilledover) is good alcohol of a strength of about ninety per cent.

I obtain by my improvements both a better middle product and a largeryield thereof by submittin g the impure alcohol'preferably when in acold state-to the preliminary treatment hereinafter set forth before itis passed int-o the rectifier. In this preliminary treatment I make useof sodium alloyed with tin. I also treat the impure alcohol withhypochlorite of lime, (bleaching-powder;) but I be lieve that I am thefirst to use sodium amalgamated or alloyed with other metals, as withmercury or lead, when used in connect-ion with hypochlorite of lime(bleaching-powder) or other hypochlorite; and, so far as part of myinvention is concerned, I do not limit myself to the use of sodiumalloyed with tin or sodium-tin'amalgam, or to the use of bleachI'Iypochlorite of lime (bleaching-powder) is then mixed with thisdiluted spirit in about the proportion of a gram perliter of the dilutedspirit, Well stirred, and allowed to stand for some minutes. Sodium-tinalloy or amalgam is then added in such proportions as to have presentfifteen to twenty grams of sodium for each one hundred liters of liquid.I use more or less, according to the degree of purity of the crudespirit. The alloy or the amalgam is placed in the vat-preferably insmall pieces, in order to offer a large Workingsurface.

If using the amalgannlplace it in an earthenware tray 011 the bottom ofthe vat, so that the mercury may be retained.

The agitator should be kept in motion for half an hour or more. spiritis transferred from the vat to the rectifier. A very convenientarrangement is to submit the impure alcohol to the cold treatment overnight and to transfer it to the rectifier in the morning.

The rectification is conducted in the usual manner, except that it willbe found on test ing that the good alcohol comes over at an earlierstage than heretofore, and that the yield is better in quality andlarger in quantity than heretofore. As usual, the spirit which first andlast comes over, and which is more or less impure, is collectedseparately and is again treated as before in the vat.

After some time the In the preparation of the sodium alloy or amalgam Iuse such a proportion of sodium that the product may decompose watertolerably freely, but without violence and Without the aid of heat. 7

Although it is industrially advantageous to submit the impure alcohol totreatment in a cold state before the commencement of the rectification,nevertheless the treatment may take place in the rectifier itself.

I do not claim herein the use of sodium amalgam alone in therectification of alcohol, as that is old; but I believe myself to be thefirst to use such amalgam in combination with bleaching-powder in thisprocess, which use I have found advantageous. I also be- .lieve myselfto be the first to use sodium-tin alloy in such process, which alloypossesses several advantages, such as being free from the poisonouseitects of mercury, being easily made, readily pulverizable, andconveniently kept without change for an indefinite time.

Having now particularly described my said invention and in what mannerit is to be performed, what I claim is- 1. The process herein described,which consists in mixing the impure spirit of alcohol with sodium-tinalloy and then rectifying it.

2. The process herein described, which consists in mixing the impurespirit of alcohol with an alloy or amalgam of sodium and ahypochlorite-such as bleaching-powder and then rectifying it.

3. The hereinbefore-described process for the rectification of alcohol,which consists in mixing the impure spirit, containing about forty percent. of absolute alcohol, with sodium-tin alloy, in the mannerspecified, in the proportion of about fifteen or twenty grams of sodiumfor each one hundred liters of liquid, and distilling the mixture, asset forth.

4. The hereinbefore-described process for the rectification of alcohol,which consists in successively diluting the impure spirit to about fortyper cent. of absolute alcohol, adding hypochlorite of lime(bleaching-powder) in about the proportion of one gram per liter of thediluted spirit, stirring the mixture, and then adding sodium-tin alloyin about the proportions specified, and then distilling the mixture, asset forth.

5. The hereinbefore-described process for the rectification of alcohol,which consists in mixing hypochlorites with cold diluted impure spirit,adding sodium-tin alloy, agitating the mixture, allowing it to stand,and then distilling it, all substantially as set forth.

6. The hereinbefore-described process for the rectification of alcohol,which consists in successively diluting the impure spirit to about fortyper cent. of absolute alcohol, mixing it with hypochlorite of lime(bleachingpowder) in about the proportion of one gram per liter of thediluted spirit, stirring the mixture, allowing it to stand, then addingan alloy of alkaline metal in such proportion as to have present aboutfifteen to twenty grams of alkaline metal for each one hundred liters ofliquid, then agitating and distilling, substantially as specified.

ANDRE THEODORE CIIRISTOPII.

lVitnesses:

R. J. PRESTON, DAVID T. S. FULLER.

